


Alterations- Mike Zacharias x Reader

by Schoenes_Elend



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Awkward Crush, Dating, Declarations Of Love, Dork Mike Zacharias, Explicit Language, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Miche Zacharias, Miche Zacharius - Freeform, Mike Zacharius - Freeform, Misunderstandings, Past Erwin Smith/Mike Zacharias, Pre-Canon, Reader-Insert, Sewing, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan References, Shy Mike Zacharias
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2019-11-16 02:23:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18085607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schoenes_Elend/pseuds/Schoenes_Elend
Summary: The Military factions of Paradis have a demand for countless uniforms to be made every year for the new recruits and soldiers. F/n, the owner of an alterations store, has helped them for years, but one soldier in particular has her heart.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got this idea because I sew costumes and clothing for a living. I've always been curious about the amount of uniforms the three military factions needed in Attack on Titan and imagined it would be a large undertaking, especially with the Survey Corps. Plus, Mike Zacharias is one of my favorite characters and there is just not enough backstory for him in the original story, so this is my way of padding him and the world out a bit. I'll add more character tags as this story goes on, but don't expect it to be a long series. I just wanted something cute!

            F/n sat at her workplace, eyes fixated on the task at hand.

"F/n, it's getting dark, go home!" exclaimed her fellow coworker, Anita, as she put on her coat.  
"I just have to finish these last few stitches." said f/n, her tongue placing itself on her upper lip in concentration as her hand moved the sewing needle back and forth through the cloth.  
Anita, under her breath, whispered "The soldiers can wait another day, girl," as she wrapped a headscarf around her thick hair. "Do you have your key?" Anita asked loudly.  
"Yes, yes, of course. I'll lock everything up, Anita. Tell your children I said hi!"  
"Go the fuck to sleep, f/n!" playfully reprimanded Anita, leaving f/n to smirk at her work.

            All became silent in the alteration workshop once Anita closed the front door behind her, the bell's ringing gradually getting softer until it froze itself. F/n, using the dwindling sunlight and her candle, sewed a few more stitches in the sleeve, then made a knot to finish off the cuff of the uniform jacket. Grabbing her scissors, f/n made a quick snip at the excess thread, and sighed heavily, her breath carrying away the long work day away. She stood up from her stiff, wooden chair and brought over the jacket to a clothing rack to hang it. She then swiped up one of her store's card-stocks, wrote the name of a soldier on it, and pinned the card to the same jacket, now ready for tomorrow's pickup.

The amount of tailoring and alteration work for the three different military factions of Paradis was staggering. There were several workshops throughout the many districts that were assigned specifically for military work, f/n's own business being one of them.

The store wasn't originally hers, but when the first owner, Mr. Candelas, decided to retire, he announced that he was leaving f/n in charge, if she so wished. It was a generous offer that she readily took.

            She had been working there since she had turned fifteen years of age, following the footsteps of her mother Shay, now long gone. Ten years after f/n started, she was offered the position, and the rest fell into place. F/n was now freshly twenty-nine. Though she was not necessarily old, the pangs of age were beginning to catch up with her, her back was getting stiffer earlier in the day than ever before. When she was younger, she could sew from morning until dusk and still maintain a perfect posture. These days, however, she had to constantly stretch and correct it to prevent a crooked back. The amount of work seemed the same and yet also so much more than before.

            The military faction with the most consistent amount of orders was always the Survey Corps. While it had the least amount of members compared to the Garrison Regiment and the Military Police, they were constantly losing soldiers. F/n always received used uniforms from them, littered with signs of the brutality that they faced outside the Walls. Occasionally, the entire uniform could be salvaged and cleaned for another soldier to use in the future. More often than not, f/n and her workers tasked themselves on removing the insignia patches of the Wings of Freedom from the soiled uniforms to put aside for future use; the rest was burned, the ashes shoveled away.

That was f/n's least favorite part of the job.

            After putting away the jacket, f/n went back to her station to clean up. As she did, with her back turned, the bell of the door rang and heavy footsteps walked in.

"We are in the process of closing now," stated f/n as she continued cleaning up her table, "Come back tomorrow and we can take it from there."  
"Actually, I'd like to take you right here and now," rumbled a low, familiar voice behind her, a sudden pair of strong hands wrapping themselves low around her waist.

            F/n scoffed and turned to look at her lover.

"Mike, I thought you weren't on leave until tomorrow night?"  
"Wanted to surprise you," he said and immediately kissed her, his beard lightly scratching at her face.  
"You mean you have more work for me to do," said f/n, pointing at the bundle tucked under one of his arms. "What, did you grow a foot tall again?"  
Mike smirked at her. "You're never going to let that go, are you?"  
"Not for as long as I live," teased f/n, leaving behind another soft kiss on his lips.

            The two stared at each other for a few moments, the air getting heavier with playful tension. F/n continued looking into Mike's eyes as she walked backwards to the front door and locked it.  
"Ahh..." murmured Mike as if he discovered something intriguing, "To the back room?" he offered with a suggestive tone, an eyebrow arching.  
"Fine. But it's your turn to clean up the mess afterward," winked f/n, allowing Mike to carry her over to the stock room.

\---

            Mike Zacharias first met f/n during their more youthful years, when he was just a cadet. He had first joined the Training Corps a few months after his fourteenth birthday, a lanky lad standing at just 158 cm (5'2"). Every few months, however, he would grow another inch or two, making him outgrow his given uniform nearly every time. Hems would either have to be dropped or he had to be given a completely new one. It happened steadily enough that he became known to the alterations shop. By chance, f/n's mother was often the one working on his uniforms, focusing on soldiers with last names starting with U down to Z.

            Less than a year later, when he reached 170 cm (5'7"), he once again made the trip to the shop while carrying two sets of his uniforms, expected to see Shay, but instead saw a younger woman, near his age, sitting at the work station. Mike was immediately taken aback, having never seen her before.

"Oh...I'm looking for Ms. Shay?" the young teenage boy asked, voice barely perceptible to f/n's ears.  
"Can you repeat that?" she asked, head ever so slightly tilted to the right.  
The owner, Mr. Candelas, walked over to see who entered the shop. "Ah, Mike, need new ones again, huh?"  
Mike turned his attention to the stout, balding man. His face turned a little red with shame. "Uh, yes. I do. Sorry..."  
"Don't be apologetic, my dear boy. You're my most profitable customer! Not that that matters to you since the military pays for it all," Mr. Candelas then turned towards f/n, "Mike Zacharias was one of your mother's regulars...see what you can do for him. Mike, this is f/n. She'll take care of your needs. Now, I need to take inventory of our thread stock. I'll be there if you have any questions." He gave the two a quick nod and trudged to the back room of the store.

            Mike watched Mr. Candelas as he walked back until he heard a soft "Ahem." He glanced at the girl sitting at the table.

            She was no older than he was, at fifteen, and very pretty.

"Are your pants too short now?"  
Mike nodded.  
"And the cuffs?"  
Mike nodded again in silence.  
"Hand them over to me please," requested f/n.

Feeling a little nervous, Mike did as he was told, his left hand held onto the back of his neck nervously. He always felt anxious in the workshop, but the girl made him feel even more so than before.

"Looks like there's another inch in here that we can drop for the pants hem, so you might not need a new pair. And your cuffs...also another inch. Stand here so I can measure you," gently ordered f/n, grabbing a tape measure from her toolkit and pointing at a spot closer to her.

            Once he stood there, f/n moved close to him and gently lifted one of his arms slightly. He fought the urge to take his usual deep, introductory sniffs at her like he usually did with his fellow cadets. Mike didn't want to piss off the alterations workers, lest they leave a few surprise pins and needles in his pants when he put them on. He had heard rumors of such events and decided to never take the chance.

But he certainly could smell her; the scent of fabric and faint metal from the needles were the most prominent, but her hair carried a comforting smell: notes of black tea with orange peel.

"Keep your arm straight," f/n said as she measured Mike from the top of his shoulder down to his wrist. "Now bend it slightly, like you're looking at a ring on your finger. Like that, thank you...Now, I'll check your inseam." F/n handed him the beginning of her measuring tape. "Hold this at your...junction please."  
Mike smirked awkwardly, amused by her phrasing.  
F/n stammered. "I mean your..."  
"Oh," exclaimed Mike, "I know what you mean. I remember how inseams work, ha. I just enjoyed your crotch. AH! I mean–your _word_ for crotch..."  
F/n's eyes widened incredulously for a moment, then gave a small smile. "Well...thank you."

            Mike, hating himself just a little bit more, stood silently holding the measuring tape where he needed to as f/n brought it down to the floor. Still feeling embarrassed, he felt like strangling himself with it.

"Just want to see if the extra inch is enough on the jacket and pants. I'll check that really quick," said f/n as she brought over her measuring tape over to his uniform pieces on the table.

 _She's so efficient,_ thought Mike.

"Did you learn this from your mother?" Mike asked, trying to shake off the awkward silence and his terrible, awful, hopefully forgettable social blunder.  
"Yes...I did," said f/n, still concentrating on her work.  
"Oh...I was just thinking, you work fast, like her."  
F/n gave him a quick nod, remaining focused.  
"...Are you filling in for her today?"  
F/n sighed and put down the measuring tape, leaving Mike wondering if he was annoying her too much, the _one_ time he decided to be talkative.

"She passed away about a month ago actually."  
"What?" asked Mike, feeling dismayed. "I...I'm so sorry, f/n."  
F/n gave him a quick look and, for a moment, it seemed like she was going to break down. Instead, she gave him a small smile. "Thank you...I've spared many days for weeping, but it's still very fresh."  
"...She was always very kind to me," said Mike quietly, unsure of how to rectify his mistake.

F/n breathed in slowly and deeply. "Well...I'm sorry you're only hearing it for the first time, Mike. At the very least...the good news today is, I can just drop the hems on your uniform, so they should be ready before the work day ends. Will you be by to pick them up tomorrow morning? asked f/n, putting up her walls and getting right back into business.  
"Will you be there?" asked Mike.  
"No, it's my day off, but the shop will be open. So, you are all set for tomorrow then. Have a good afternoon."  
Mike nodded and sauntered off awkwardly. He opened the shop door, stepped outside, then turned and muttered "F/n, thank y–!"

The door closed on his words; f/n didn't even seem to notice. Mike walked away, disappointed in himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like this! I remember being unsure of myself when I was a teen (who wasn't?), so I wanted Mike to also have that in his younger years. He is very sure of himself when he became a seasoned soldier, but I have this head canon that he wasn't always that confident, burly, muscular, tall, manly, toned...*spaces out*...what was I saying again?
> 
> Anyway, this is actually not my first fan fiction for AOT, but it is the first I am posting here so I can get a feel for it and to see how my writing style is.


	2. Chapter 2

"It's been quite some time since I've seen that Zacharias recruit, few weeks or months or so. Finally stopped growing, I imagine." stated Mr. Candelas from his desk as he was paging through the orders in the quarterly logbooks.  
"You sound relieved about it. But isn't that bad for business, sir?" teased f/n as she organized the clothing racks.  
"Yes, almost completely in the red now." sarcastically moaned Mr. Candelas.

F/n giggled as she continued to busy herself with the various orders hanging on the racks. She thought about the last time she saw the young recruit.

            The bell on the door announced a customer to f/n and Mr. Candelas. It was an extremely tall man carrying a bundle with him; his body was a mix between lanky and muscular, with shaggy dirty blond hair parted in the middle. He seemed anxious to be there.

"Good day!" welcomed Mr. Candelas, "If those are plain clothes you have in that sack there, we work exclusively for the military, so you'll have to take it over to–"  
"Mr. Candelas, it's me." rumbled a deep voice that f/n couldn't quite recognize.

            The man pulled out his two uniforms from his bag, with the Training Corps insignia on the jackets.

Mr. Candelas took a few seconds to look up at him and his eyes widened when he finally recognized who his mystery patron was. " _Mike_! W-well good to see you, my, uh, boy! We were just wondering how you've been!" stammered the shop owner.

"Been fine. But I, uh, had a bit of a growth spurt since the last time."  
F/n stopped her task and walked up to Mike. "Were you unable to stop by the shop sooner?" she asked politely, as she internally marveled at his new height, nearly more than a foot taller than when she last saw him.

            Seeing f/n again took Mike aback. She was lovelier than he remembered, the tugs of youthful attraction played in his chest.  
"Training has been intense for a while. The Commandant for my region's Training Corps made me put it off." explained Mike with a slight blush on his cheeks. "I'm in town for about a week and a half to take care of these finally. And to buy other new clothes," He pointed to the plain clothes he was now wearing, "I had to borrow these from one of my instructors."

F/n discretely looked down at his borrowed pants; they didn't fit too badly, but they were still just a few centimeters too short for Mike.

"You poor boy. Here, let's get an exact measurement of your height first. Step over here to this wall so I can see. F/n, standby." said Mr. Candelas, craning his neck to see where Mike stood on the measuring chart upon their wall.

As she waited, f/n felt a little bad for Mike as she imagined him training in his ill-fitted uniforms. She discretely studied his form: much leaner than before due to his height, yet his muscles were getting more defined. It seemed he was trying to grow out a short beard; a scattered stubble waved around his mouth and along his jaw line.

"Well...f/n?" asked Mr. Candelas apprehensively, "Go into our warehouse and see if we have any sizes in stock for him."

F/n looked at her boss, his face calm and professional, but his eyes raced back and forth at her and at the wall. F/n then glanced at the point where Mike's head stopped. She could clearly see his current height: 196 cm (6'5"). Internally, both f/n and Mr. Candelas knew they did not have any uniforms of that size in stock. That didn't stop f/n from her desire to search though.

            While making new uniforms from scratch was just another part of the job, they were often made ahead of time in the more typical sizes and stockpiled, so workers could keep up with other orders for any alterations. Someone of Mike's height was quite uncommon however, so they had to be custom made, if none were already available.

Which f/n knew there were not.

Even though f/n had made uniforms before, it was one of the longer projects, even with her sewing machine.

"I'll be back as soon as possible, Mr. Candelas." replied f/n. She quickly trudged outside on her futile mission and into the warehouse next door.

            As the scent of her hair dissipated from the workshop, Mike frowned a bit. He could sense she was a bit frazzled at the situation.

"Sorry, sir. I know there's a lot you all have to do and I–"  
"Mike," consoled Mr. Candelas, placing one of his old hands onto the young recruit's arm, "This is our line of work. What we do with our lives...well, it's the least we could do for you soldiers. Speaking of which!" suddenly exclaimed the old man, "While we're waiting for f/n and all, how have things been? Are you still thinking about joining the Military Police?"

He pulled up two nearby chairs and invited the tall teenager to sit next to him.

As he sat down, Mike gave a little shrug. "My Commandant thinks I'm skilled enough to make it as an MP..."  
Mr. Candelas waited for Mike to elaborate for a brief second, then remembered his typical quiet pattern of conversing. "Well...if that's what you want, then good! Or is there–"  
"I'm thinking about the Survey Corps actually."  
"...Oh."

            Mike smirked. He had heard that "Oh" before. Not just towards him, but _any time_ one his fellow recruits marked themselves as "future Titan bait," which was what they were called by the others who wanted to join the Garrison Regiment or the MPs. Mike used to think like them.

"...I know. But I have this friend, another recruit...he made me think...that maybe it _is_ possible to take back–"

            The bell on the door interrupted Mike's sentence. Though he expected to see f/n back from the warehouse, he instead saw his friend, as if Mike's thoughts had summoned young Erwin Smith into the store.

"Ahh, I was right. Thought I'd find you here, Mike." said Erwin matter-of-factly.  
"But I _told_ you I was going here."  
"Exactly, so I'm still right," retorted Erwin, giving a knowing smile.

            Mr. Candelas stood up from his chair, observing the other young teen with the dark, intense eyebrows. "Young Mr. Smith! Still the same, I see. Need anything?"  
Erwin greeted the old man with a handshake.

"No, sir. And I'm not quite the same. I _was_ the tallest recruit, but it seems Mike got jealous and wanted to compensate for that."  
"Well, you're already at 6'0", Erwin. Consider yourself blessed. It's not a contest." said Mr. Candelas, a trace of self-pity at his own stout height lingered between the words.  
"Yeah, Erwin," butted in Mike, feeling more emboldened by his friend's presence and remarks, "And anyway, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't win in any contest with me because I have grown in more ways than one."

"Why are the men comparing sizes right now?" bluntly asked a voice from behind.

They all turned around. F/n stood there, holding open the door. The bell rang back and forth as usual, but they didn't even hear it, too engrossed in their gross conversation.

            F/n continued on and addressed her boss. "None of his size in stock. I'll get started with the master patterns today."  
"They're hanging on the wall still. I'll finish up going through the logbooks. Gentlemen, good day...and behave yourselves, please." advised Mr. Candelas as he walked back to his desk, shaking his head at the youth.

"Hello," greeted Erwin, his hand outstretched to shake f/n's hand, "You must be f/n. I've heard of you."  
"Oh, really?" f/n asked quizzically as her right hand became enveloped by Erwin's.  
"Yes. From _Mike_."

Erwin smiled at his friend, but his eyes gave Mike a playful "Fuck. You."

Mike wanted to disappear into ash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor young Mike.


	3. Chapter 3

 

"I'm Erwin Smith, one of his good friends." He flashed a smiled at f/n.

F/n retorted smartly, "You sure about that? Your _friend_ doesn't seem so thrilled about you right now."

            Mike stepped in quickly to change the subject. "Sorry you couldn't find a uniform in stock for me. Um, how long will it take?"

F/n walked to her workstation as she explained. "Well, ideally, about two weeks per uniform, but I understand you're on break for less time, correct?"  
"Uh...yeah. About a week and three days."  
F/n faced away from the two recruits and busied herself by moving items nowhere in particular, frowning to herself. "It's a tighter schedule, but only by a few days. It's doable for one set."

Mr. Candelas chimed in from across the room. "I can put you out of commission for alterations for the time so you can focus on Mike's uniform. I'm sure the others will understand."  
"Thank you, sir. I appreciate that." F/n paused."Though...aren't each of the recruits supposed to have _two_ sets of uniforms?"

Mike was thankful that f/n brought up the question instead of himself. He didn't want to remind them, lest he annoy her more than he probably had already, but it needed to be said.

"Yes, f/n, we do." confirmed Erwin.  
Mike sighed exasperatedly at his friend. He gritted his teeth and whispered "You're _not_ helping."

Ignoring Mike, Erwin feigned a sudden revelation. "Ahh! Perhaps we can see if the Commandant will extend your time off for a few more days in town, Mike? It's mostly book work and classes for a while when we meet after break. You're doing pretty well in that field anyway and I can fill you in all the details when you get back."  
"I sincerely doubt that, Erwin. You think–"  
"Yes, I am capable of thinking, thank you."

            As the two friends bickered back and forth, Mr. Candelas peered up at them from his logbook. He began to smile slowly to himself as he realized what was going on. What Erwin was trying to do. He then glanced at f/n, who was just standing there with her measuring tape, wanting to get to work. He decided to play the devil's advocate.

"If f/n is fine with that, that may help. I'm good friends with your Commandant actually. Byron Engel and I were neighbors during our childhood. I'm sure if I explained it to him, he'd understand," chimed in the old man, careful not to expose his inner gleefulness.

"Mr. Candelas knows Commandant Engel, that's _perfect_." said Erwin, enjoying every word he had just said. "But, I hope this isn't an inconvenience for you, is it, f/n?"  
She shrugged. "A little, I'm not going to lie. But...if you can get me _at least_ two weeks, Mr. Candelas, then I can do it."

            Erwin gave a joyful laugh. "Fantastic, isn't it Mike?" He gave his tall friend a slap on the shoulder. "Though...it's a pretty big ordeal for them...sounds like you should make it up to f/n somehow. Maybe you can hang around here, be her lackey, or– OW!"  
Mike had discretely placed his shoe on top of Erwin's foot and quickly applied pressure to get his friend to stop talking. "Oh, sorry." whispered Mike.

"Look, I don't really care what you two do." said f/n, unaware of Erwin's pain. "But the sooner you stop talking, _Erwin_ , the sooner I can take all of Mike's measurements and get started on the two uniforms. And you know, while I'm at it, Erwin, I can actually see your _measurements_ from here." F/n took hold of her measuring tape, retrieved her scissors, then cut the tape at the two-inch line, and handed the short severed end to Erwin. "There, a trophy for you. You're welcome to leave now."

Mr. Candelas held the logbook closer to his face, to hide his amusement. He had been waiting for f/n's occasional attitude to emerge and bite at the recruits. F/n was a sweet young woman, but couldn't stand people walking all over her or wasting her time.

            Mike stood still, smiling to himself, feeling impressed and _insanely_ grateful for f/n at that moment.

Erwin simply smirked at her gift, conceding defeat, and bowed at f/n. "As you wish, then...Don't die, Mike!" He yelled as the front door closed behind him.

F/n sighed heavily to herself. She stole a quick glance at Mike and muttered "Your friend is a real pain in the ass."  
"Heh...he can be," responded Mike sheepishly. He was about to thank f/n, but she started addressing her boss.

"Sorry about that...bet that's coming out of my paycheck, eh?" f/n admitted, referring to the cutting of her measuring tape.  
"I can pay for that, f/n!" exclaimed Mike, which made f/n turn back to him. "Erm, what I mean is...well, it was kind of my fault."

F/n shook her head quietly and smiled at Mike a little. A moment's silence touched upon the room, a moment Mr. Candelas wanted to bend a bit to the whims of youth. He got up from his desk, put on his coat, and walked towards his young employee.

"No need to worry, f/n. Here, borrow mine," said Mr. Candelas, handing f/n the measuring tape hanging around his own neck. He moved around with buzzing vigor as he spoke. "Now, get to work. I better get a hold of the Commandant right away if we're going to help young Mike here."  
F/n frowned, "But what if–"  
"You can hold down the fort, f/n. Better yet, I'll even close up the shop so you can focus on your task."  
F/n gave a scoffing laugh. "How about the–"  
"Nonsense! Anyway, we're a little ahead of schedule on alterations for today; I sent Anita home a few hours early because of that!"  
"...She said she wasn't feeling well."  
"Well, that too! Anyhow, just do as I say. I trust you. Mike! Commandant Engel, is he in town?"  
Mike nodded, confused at the fast-paced aura in the room. "I saw him walking towards the old tavern on the main street."  
"Perfect, I'll head there! Farewell, Mike. F/n, I'll be back in an hour or two."

Before f/n could even inquire further, Mr. Candelas whipped through the workshop and out the front door quickly, like a hummingbird flying in search of nectar. The two could hear him flip the welcome sign over to 'Closed' through the door. They both stared at the door in disbelief, and yet in awe of what they had just witnessed. They then gave each other an incredulous glance and shrugged.

"Let's just...get started then," stated f/n, pulling out a measurement sheet and a pencil from a drawer. "We'll need more measurements from you this time, but just relax."

Mike nodded, but thought to himself _I'm not sure if I can right now_.

            Now, he was all alone with _her_. This girl that he had been telling Erwin and his other friend, Nile, all about since the last time he saw her. Just a few moments before, he had regretted telling Erwin anything, worried about Mr. Candelas's sudden exit, but now, here she was.

_Alone. With me._

"Stand here, Mike. This part will only take about ten to fifteen minutes, then you can leave."  
"Actually," blurted out Mike, surprising even himself, "Is it ok if I watch you– _your process_ afterward?"  
F/n gave a small laugh. "It's not as exciting as fighting Titans, I'm afraid."  
"Sometimes that's a good thing, from what I hear," Mike admitted, a hint of sadness, "...I'm just, you know, curious."

_Please say yes._

"Well...all right then. It should be fine, as long as you're not in the way." F/n brought a stepstool over in front of Mike and stood on it, beginning his measurements across his shoulders. He was much taller than she was. "I'm warning you though, I'm kind of boring."  
Mike laughed slightly through his nose. "A boring person doesn't go around telling men their penis sizes."  
F/n turned up her nose and feigned offense. " _Vulgar_! How dare you, Mr. Zacharias! It's not my fault if I'm accurate!" f/n exclaimed, followed swiftly by a small giggle that Mike immediately shared.  
"Erwin is rarely as terrible as he was today," continued Mike as f/n measured and recorded, "I promise."  
F/n remained quiet for a few seconds and responded, "Well... _You_ seem pretty nice. And if that guy hangs around someone like you...well then, maybe he _isn't_ as awful as I thought."

            Mike gulped. "Y–you think I'm nice?"  
F/n shrugged. "That's what Erwin was trying to convince to me it seems."  
Mike began feeling more nervous. "...What do you mean?"  
"Oh, you know," f/n murmured as she measured at Mike's right bicep, "I'm not stupid." She looked into his eyes after unwrapping her tape from his arm. "You're going to be in town while I work on your uniforms for potentially two weeks straight. And Erwin made it seem like...you want to spend that time _here_...Why is that?"

            Mike pursed his lips together and blushed. He couldn't think or find the words to say as f/n's question seemed to throw off his coherency. What made it worse was f/n was still taking measurements, now down each of his legs, and silently waiting for his response. She wasn't necessarily teasing him, but the timing of it was not helping Mike in the slightest.

Then, after a few agonizing seconds, f/n stood up straight, smiling at Mike.

"Also, Erwin _did_ say you could make it up to me somehow...Wouldn't be a long event because of all the work I have to do...but that's all up to you."

Mike scratched at his stubble, nervous. He had one of the top combat scores of his fellow cadets, but _this_ he felt like he could barely handle.

            F/n began walking toward the master patterns hanging on the wall and comparing Mike's measurements to them, as if their current conversation wasn't happening.

"Well, whenever the cat lets go of your tongue," stated f/n kindly from the wall, "let me know. You wanted to watch me work now, so, you have time to think of something before Mr. Candelas gets back...Whatever you decide...it's a date...just say the word."

Mike's heart leaped in his chest and he grinned to himself.

_Fucking Erwin. You goddamn genius._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little late on updating this chapter. Been having a lot of late nights these past few days and currently super tired, so hopefully this is not a mess haha.


	4. Chapter 4

"You think he went through with it?" asked the dark-haired teen sitting by Erwin.

            The two recruits postured themselves on a wooden bench in the town's square, the sun's rays warming their faces.

"I can only predict and hope, Nile...assuming he survives," answered Erwin. He fiddled with the snipped end of f/n's measuring tape in his fingers as he watched the hub-bub of his surroundings.  
"What's that you got there?" Nile pointed at Erwin's hands.  
Erwin smirked, thinking back on f/n. "His little crush's impression of me." He held it up between two fingers to show Nile.

It took Nile just a second to understand and snickered. "You really are–"  
"A complete asshole," rumbled Mike's low voice, suddenly appearing behind the other two.

            Mike stood there, his arms crossed, his face with a frown.

"What in the hell made you think it would be ok for you to act like that back there?"  
"Oh man, that bad, huh Mike? Did she let you down gently at least?" pitied Nile.

Erwin narrowed his eyes at his sandy-haired friend. "Actually...I think little Mike here did just fine...Didn't you?"  
Mike stared coldly at Erwin for a long time, before breaking out a reluctant smile. "You are such a creepy motherfu–"

            Nile's jeers and cheers drowned out Mike, ecstatic for him.

"YES! Finally! You've been pining after that girl for weeks and _weeks_. Bet all that training you had to do in those tight pants isn't so bad now!"  
Erwin gave a friendly smack to Mike's back. "So, when is the date? Tonight?"  
"No. After my first fitting, so in a few days. F/n has a lot to do on my uniforms, so it's not like we can just hang out all the time..."

            A crease began to form between Mike's eyebrows as he became quiet. "And...it's just _finally_ hitting me that it's going to happen..." Suddenly, Mike's eyes widened, a burst of nervous energy raging out of him as he placed his hands on his head. "Shit, I got to get new clothes first! Maybe I should find a nice suit too? ...B–but what if she changes her mind after I bought one? AHH, should I visit her before our date and make sure she remembers? No, fuck, then she might get sick of me and cancel! But if the date does happen, then what do I do? I didn't think this far, guys...Shit fuck _fuck_!"

"You know, everyone who says you're 'quiet' would be surprised to hear how much you curse," uselessly added Nile with a blank face.

            Erwin gave Nile a slight shove on the arm before giving a gentle smack to Mike's cheek.

"Keep your wits about you," suggested Erwin while holding onto his friend's shoulders. "You have time to prepare and have a plan ready."  
"Pfft, _lighten_ up, Erwin," said Nile, "It's not like an expedition or battling Titans. He doesn't need to prepare anything. Just get some new clothes, then be you, Mike. She seems to like you anyway, with your weird sniffing thing even."

Mike shook his head. "I haven't sniffed at her actually."  
Nile made a face, his expression full of disbelief. " _Really now_? You kept describing her scent all the damn time in our dorm."  
"Yeah, I could _smell_ her, but I didn't _sniff_ her, not with all those needles she could leave in my uniform."  
"Tch, is that all people need to do to get you to stop sniffing them?"

            Feeling both annoyed and amused, Mike scoffed and looked away from his friends. It was true that f/n didn't know about his odd habit. Should he even tell her? Mike wanted his date to go well in the future, but she, like most other people, may not take kindly to it. He was normally apathetic toward people's reactions, with a few notable exceptions like f/n or Commandant Engel.

            Nile stretched out his limbs and sighed in relief. "Anyway, I don't know about you two, but I'm parched. And I heard talk that there's some new girl working at Heathrow's bar. 'Mary' or 'Marie' or something. Might introduce myself," Nile said slyly, his head giving a cocky tilt. "You should come with, Eyebrows."  
"I could go for that. It'd be nice to discuss more about Engel's logistic training for the ODM gear in a more enjoyable setting."  
"...You can be such a stick in the mud," murmured Nile under his breath, "What about you, Hound Dog? You should relax too."

            Mike turned back to face his friends, his lips still pursed in thought. "I'll meet you there in a bit. Need some new clothes first."  
"Ahh, right, good plan. Come on, Erwin."

            Before leaving, Erwin gave Mike a reassuring grin. "Think about it this way. F/n said yes. So logically and naturally, she is just as excited and nervous as you right now."  
Mike nodded and smiled shyly, but also feeling bolstered. "Yeah...probably."

            The trio then parted ways, two going east, the other going west. Mike meandered through the streets and crowds with a renewed sense of purpose.  
  


  
\---  
  


  
            "What am I going to wear, Anita? The date's finally today and I still have no clue," sighed f/n. She stood next to a large mannequin, padded to fit Mike's measurements. One set of his uniform jacket and pants were put onto it, each of the two items loosely sewn and put together to make any needed adjustments easier to manage after his first fitting.

"I don't know, f/n," whined Anita, sitting at her work station as she sewed down hems. Her wavy black hair framed her pouting face. "I mean I guess, it depends. Where are you two going?"  
"...Not sure. We agreed to meet by the river in the late afternoon and didn't decide on a concrete plan."  
"Helpful...Then, just wear something light and bring a shawl for when it gets colder at night."

            Standing inside the back room, Mr. Candelas called out to f/n. "I'm certain young Mike will enjoy seeing you no matter what you wear!"  
Still focusing on her task, f/n cried out "With all due respect, sir, you are one of the reasons why I'm in this mess! You're just as bad as that Erwin."  
Mr. Candelas popped  his head out, teasing "I just said to watch the store, not plan romantic escapades with our clients."  
"You didn't _say_ it, but you definitely wanted it to happen...Still can't believe you managed to convince their Commandant to extend Mike's break."  
"Well, it helped that it _is_ a legitimate concern...and Engel had already drank a little by the time I got to the tavern."

            F/n shook her head quietly. As frustrated and nervous as she was, the excitement was still there. She had been so focused on work since the death of her mother months ago, she never made an effort to be social or have fun. It would, ideally, be a much needed respite.

F/n thought Mike seemed like an interesting guy, certainly easy on the eyes, albeit a little awkward. Besides, if f/n was going to do this much work in so little time for a guy who was interested in her anyway, she reasoned that she may as well make the most of it.

"All right," proclaimed f/n with relief, "The temporary stitches are all done now for his fitting, so whenever he shows up, it'll be–"

            A roar of raucous laughter boomed just outside the store, jolting the attention of the three employees inside the workshop. The front door opened to a wide-grinning Erwin holding the door; a dark-haired teen whom f/n had never seen before entered.

"F/n! Wonderful to see you again!" said Erwin. "This is Nile Dok."  
"Hey! I'm another friend of Mike's," Nile said, extending a hand out to f/n, who shook his hand reluctantly.

_Great. Another Erwin._

"So, what are you two doing here?" politely demanded f/n, the threat of danger hiding itself carefully within a gentle tone.  
"We're just interested in the process of making the uniforms," answered Nile with a shit-eating smile. "Can't wait to see how it works!"  
Mr. Candelas walked over to the recruits with a stern look on his face. "Now, don't start anything you two. You want to watch? Fine. But just sit down and remain there, please."  
Nile put his hands up as he and Erwin sat on nearby chairs. "Yes, sure thing, sir. Hey Mike, you coming in or what?"

            After a few seconds, Mike entered the store. F/n could feel her pulse flutter upon setting her eyes on him. It had only been a few days, but she felt immense relief to finally see him once more. It seemed Mike managed to get some new clothes for himself: a forest green shirt, its long sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and gray slacks.

Mike shifted his eyes back and forth nervously at her and around the room, happy to be there, yet concerned he (or his friends) would mess something up.

Earlier, Mike had asked, no, _pleaded_ with Erwin and Nile not to come. He thought they had listened, until they suddenly bombarded him right at the workshop door. Before Mike could even protest, Erwin had quickly whispered to him "You've been standing near the door for almost five minutes without moving. We're just giving you a push!" and then immediately opened the door for his friend.

            Aware of the audience made up of her boss, Anita, and the other two idiots, f/n felt like she was on a stage, an unwilling, inexperienced actor in the starring role.

"Y–you can try on your uniform now. The stitches are only temporary, so be careful putting it on. Your jacket can go over your shirt. Go dress behind that curtain in the corner," instructed f/n immediately, forgetting social pleasantries and trying to regain some normalcy in her workday. F/n swiftly took off the clothing from the mannequin and practically threw it into Mike's arms, her breath quiet, yet unsteady from nervousness.

"O–oh, ok then...hi," greeted Mike quietly. As he trudged to the dressing area, Erwin and Nile beamed at him from their seats. Mike gave them a frown and pulled the curtain closed when he reached the corner.

            From her peripheral vision, f/n could see Anita still sewing away, but every now and then, Anita would glance at her or at Mike's friends. At some point, Mr. Candelas slinked back into the back room; no doubt all too aware of the awkward aura filling up his business.

"So...you like sewing?" asked Nile, calling out his question towards f/n.  
"...Yeah..." she answered.  
"...You like dogs too?"  
"Wha–I mean, yes...I do." F/n didn't even attempt to hide her perplexed annoyance.

_What the hell?_

"Oh, great!" said Nile, nodding his head up and down. " _Hey, Mike_! You hear that? She likes dog–"

Mike stepped out from behind the curtain and speedily moved toward to f/n. " _Ok_ , I'm done!"

            As he came closer to her, f/n made note of how great Mike looked in the uniform. She had worked on countless uniforms in the past, seeing them on various soldiers and recruits, but f/n never really understood the fascination and attraction of them on people until Mike. He looked _very_ good.

"Fascinating work, f/n!" Erwin said exuberantly from his chair. "Seems to fit you really well, Mike!"  
"It does actually," said f/n, relenting a reluctant agreement toward Erwin.  
Nile gave a single clap and said "Yeah! ...So, f/n, what breeds of dogs do you like–"

            Anita swiftly put down her work and stood up from her table saying "Hey, guys, you're both strong, right? Help me bring these over to the storehouse. Now." She pushed over some nearby wooden crates toward Nile and Erwin, nearly running over their feet; essentially forcing the two to do her bidding amidst their futile protests.

            F/n gave an internal sigh of relief as the three exited the room. She knew those wooden crates didn't necessarily need to be in the storehouse, and so did Anita.

F/n would have to pay her back somehow.

            Avoiding Mike's gaze, she inspected the jacket on him closely. "W–we can probably take in the side seams just a little  to streamline it more to your, um, body."

F/n felt her cheeks flush and immediately started looking down at the hems of Mike's pants so he wouldn't notice her blushing. "The l–length is great as it is, so that's one less thing...H–how's the waistband fitting you? Is it loose or too tight?"

Mike shifted his weight back and forth on his legs and hopped in place briefly. "No, it's good. Doesn't feel like it's going to fall off, so thanks, heh," answered Mike, giving a short laugh through his nose, before whispering, "My, uh, 'junction' doesn't feel crowded either. That's what you called the inseam, right?"

F/n gave him a small knowing smile. "Yeah. Perfect then...everything looks great so far. The cuffs fit too...I'll just take a minute to get those side seams pinned in." As she began placing pins in Mike's jacket, she mentioned "Now that I've seen this on you and can make the adjustments, I can apply that to your second uniform too."

            When she finished, she stood up straight and looked over his uniform one more time.

"I'll do the permanent stitching once the adjustments are made. Then do the patches and the other small details later." She reached out to fiddle with Mike's cuff when he stopped her, holding onto her hand.

"S–so...we're still on for today?" he asked. Just like f/n, he too was avoiding her eyes. She could see his nervousness playing out in front of her.  
F/n's thumb gave his hand a gentle swipe. "The river, an hour before sunset?"  
Mike then dared to look into f/n's eyes and smiled. "That's right...And I _promise_ Erwin and Nile won't be there."  
"Well," f/n giggled, "That already sounds perfect."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter took a while to come out, sorry guys! But I did have a lot of fun writing this, especially with Nile and Erwin! So hope you liked it too!


	5. Update-On Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little update!

Hey all.

I know it's been a while since I've updated this story; just haven't had much inspiration for a while. I have had some of the next chapter written out, but don't have time to finish it up since I'm leaving on a 3 week trip tomorrow and won't be bringing my laptop. So, it will be a longer wait unfortunately, but I have not abandoned this story! I do intend to finish it at some point cause there is just not enough Mike stories out there. Maybe 2 or 3 more chapters.

Since I wrote the last chapter, I have gotten a few more subscriptions and bookmarks for this. No matter how small or big the number, I am sincerely happy some of you guys are enjoying this.

Hope you guys have been keeping up with the latest AOT episodes btw! The recent "Perfect Game" episode was ***all the feels*** for me.


End file.
